CRICKET: Caloundra stomps Maroochydore Red in top match

CRICKET: Caloundra produced its best score in more than two seasons in mounting 5-308 against Maroochydore Red before declaring, based on an Alec Townsend 134 that set up the innings for Luke Eastgate and Josh Winen to add another 100 runs.

A red-hot Kev Hackney outfield was the perfect venue for big runs, and the Lighthouses did little wrong as only Tony Waterhouse, 4-80 off 31 overs, impressed with the ball.

With six overs to negotiate, Red's captain Jimmy Aspinwall dragged the equally mature Damien Said to the crease to see the day out, but Said would have none of it as they moved to 0-42 at stumps.

Interest was keen on the top of the table clash at Albert Park, where Maroochydore Blue and the Gold sized each other up with a view to the One Day Final on January 24.

A winning call was all Blues' skipper Craig Davies needed to put the Swans into bat for a successful day, reaching 336 all out at stumps with 147 from the captain and a late 94 by Chris Welsh.

Entering at 2-35, Davies immediately set about leggie Vasili Exarhos, with 47 off his first four overs, though the youngster had the dubious pleasure of his wicket a hundred runs later.

Gerard Flegler and Blaine Schloss came and went until the freespirited Welsh joined a temporarily quietened Davies for a century partnership to hand the Swans the day.

Ten sixes to the skipper and eight to Welsh showed the aerial route was best on a field still slow from the rain.

The end score fell a long way short of the deserved tally on a normal Albert Park, which Gympie will bat on next Saturday.

A whirlwind 138 from Caboolture opener Andy Schablon capped a dominant day for the Snakes as they dismissed Nambour for 104 and ended on 3-200 at Grant Road.

Matt Anderson and Matt Parkinson opened the bowling to claim seven wickets between them, while the visitors struggled for 62 overs. But the 140 early response from Schablon and Martyn McVeigh opened-up outright opportunities for the home side.

Ahead already by nearly a hundred, Caboolture has a huge chance of scoring the points needed to gain a vital top-two placing.

A dismal 89 by Tewantin-Noosa and an only slightly less dismal 95 response from Glasshouse on a perfectly good track and outfield were brightened by six-wicket hauls - 6-27 by home skipper Jeremy Schultz and 6-39 to the Thunders' Ashley Poole.

Each side had an innings high of 23 from its captain as the day closed with Tewantin on 0-18, and hopeful of better cricket next week.